A well known Drax couple, Howard and Monica Thomas, who have lived in the village all their lives, have celebrated their golden wedding.

Howard and Monica, both aged 73, first met at the village youth club and later became friends before marrying at the St Peter and St Paul church in the village.

Howard was former pupil at Drax Grammar School (now Read School), leaving at the age of 15. He then worked with this father, former Leeds United and Selby Town footballer, Harold (Butch) Thomas, in the family butcher business in the village.

He later took over the running of the shop with Monica when his dad retired until he had to close the business in 1987 due to ill health after it had been run by his family since 1900.

Howard later worked at Yorkshire Chemicals in Bawtry Road before retiring. Monica in her early working life was a Feller Hand at the Montague Burtons work room in Gowthorpe where nearly 100 girls worked.

Howard was a well known sportsman in the area, playing for the village cricket team in the West Riding League and also the village football team.

He also played for York City Reserves and Selby Town in the Yorkshire League and as a teenager played for Goole United Juniors.

The couple, who have two sons, two grandsons and a granddaughter, celebrated with a family party at Drax Sport and Social Club.

The celebrations also prompted a reunion for the couple with our long-serving Selby photographer Eric Foster - who took their wedding photograph 50 years ago, and their Golden Wedding photographs.